Printing-machine.



No.- 735,977. 7 PATENTED AUG. 11; 1903.

' 7 W. K. HODGMAN. 'PRIIITIIIG MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED NOV 10 1902 N70. MODEL.

UNITED STATES ratented August 11, 1903,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS K. HODGMAN, on TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR T HUBER- HODGM'AN PRINTING PRESS- COMPANY, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS; A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE.

srncino'a'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,977; dated August 11. 1903.

' Appliostion iiled November 10, 1902. Serial No. 130,630. (No model.)

re new and improved sheet-delivery and sh'eetv carrying-and piling mechanism fora printingpress, together adapted to take the printed sheets from the impression-cylinder of the press and pile the same in an orderly manner I with the printed face uppermost without the use of any means for positively gripping or holding the several sheets. a

The invention consists'of the mechanism as, described in the following specification and 7 set forth more particularly in' the claims appended thereto.

My. invention is illustrated in the three figures of the'drawings; in. which-- Figure -1 is a view of a longitudinal central-sectioiipf a suflicjent portion of a printing-press to show my invention applied there-. -to.- Fig.2 is a top plan view of the same portion of a Sprinting-press, showing the. press as broken in two longitudinally and the two side o portions thereof moved together, this being done merely vfor convenience of illustration. Fig.'3'is a sectional view taken on line at w, Fig.1. v V

While my invention is illustrated in con 5 nection with a particular form of printing a press, it is obvious that it is adapted for use with any printing-press from which the sheets can lie-taken by a sheet-delivery mechanism such as shown. Ihave illustrated the form 40 of printing-press in which a reciprocating bed I the usual gripping-fingers band is journaled ism and'the sheet carrying and piling mechanism. The sheet-deliverymechanis'm isdesigned to take the sheet from theimpressioncylinder and deliver the same 'to the sheet carrying and piling mechanism, reducing the speed ofthe sheet dnringsuch delivery. This reduction in speed is an essential feature of my invention and may obviously be secured in a number of different ways; but I prefer to secure such reduction in speed by the use of two sets of delivery-tapes which run at different speeds. A simple construction and arrangement of such tapestmay be secured in the following manner.

Projecting from the vertically movable frame in which theimpression-cylinder is journaled are arms (1, in which is journaled a shaft 11', carrying a series of pulleys for the several tapes d of one set and also carrying near the end of the "shaft a'lgear-wheel 01 Another gear-wheel d is jou naled in one of c the'arms d and intermeshes with the gear 01 on'the impression-cylinder and the gear a, thus serving to drive the shaft d from the motion of the timpression-cylinder B. A series of the usual stripper-fingers f project in proper relation to the impression-cylinder from a rod f, likewise journaled'in the arm (1. These stripper-fingers f alternate in the mental way with the several tapes. A shaft -g is journaled at or near the top of the brackets D in substantially the same horizontal plane as the shaft d. This shaft g is provided at each end withprojectingarms g, in the ends of which is jonrnaled a shaft 9 which latter shaft carries a series of pulleys g for the several tapes (1 of the second series of-tapes. At one end of the said shaft g is a second projecting arm g, which is formed or connected with the arms g, so'as to move therewith, A shaft it, connected with and driven by a suitable portion of; the

driving mechanism of the press, is journaled, mo

. preferably, below the frame A and has'mounted thereon a cam h, preferably-of the shape A rod ha is connected with the arm tionof theshaft 72. through the medium of i the cam 72 therod It will be moved,- so as to cause the shaft g with the tape-carrying pul.-

leys thereon,to occupy two different positions.

The brackets E are also provided with.pro-v jectiug arms t', in which are journaled two auism.

shafts t" and 7t, the former of which carries a-series of pulleys for guiding and carrying the set of tapes (1 and the latter of which carries a series of pulleys for carrying and guiding the set of tapes (Z The shaftrl is also provided at one end with a gear, t driven through the medium of a gear i journaled in one of the arms t' from a large gear Z, hereinafter described. It will be noticed that the ends of the arms (Z, g, and vi are notched, so that the shafts d", g and 7a, which carry the tape-pulleys, may be easily removed for obvious purposes. a

The sheet-delivery mechanism thus above described operates in the following manner: \Vhen the printed sheet is on the impressioncylinder and the forward end of the same has about reached the stripper-fingers f, the two sets of tapes d d occupy practically horizon tal positions, the set cZ being in-a plane a trifle lower than the plane of the set (i and these sets of tapes are being run at different speeds. The speed of the tapes d is governed by the speed of the gear a" on the impressioncyliuder, and the speed of the tapes d is much less than that of the tapesd arid isprefer ably aboutthe sameas the speed of the car-,

rier of the carrying and piling mechanism,

hereinafter described, and is governed by the gear Z, above referred to. \Vhen the sheet reaches the stripper-fingers f, it is stripped from the im pression-cylinder and passes within the control of the tapes d by which it is carried along at a speed governed by the gears 0' (Z (1*, and preferably the speed of the impression-cylinder, until the cam h-f in its rotation raises the rod 7L2 and the shaft 9 with the anism. is supported bythe brackets E, F, G,

and H, which are extended and connected, as

shownin thedrawings, tb..form a skeleton frame'and comprises in the form in which I have chosen to illustrate this feature of my invention an endless carrier-"provided with supporting-bridges and a device fo'r'holding the pile of sheets; A, shaft Z is journaled in the brackets E and carries atone end' the gear 'sary to show or describe.

The sheet carrying and. piling meeh- Z, previously referred to, and is driven by conneetion with a suitableportion of the driving mechanism of the press which it is unneces- This shaft is provided near each end with sprocket-wheels Z Corresponding sprocket wheels of the same pitch of sprocket and preferably of'the' same size are journaled, the'one in thebracket H on oneside of the frame and the other on the bracket H on the other sideof the frame, by short shafts bolted through the frame, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The endless carrier is composed of two sprocket'chains, one located in one side of the skeleton frame,

proper time. Ihave shown and'described two series of these bridges; but myendless carrier can be provided with one or-a plurality ofsaid;

series, the number of these series of bridges being determined by the length and speed of the carrier and other conditions knownto one skilled in this art. Each bridge M or N comprises a shaft u,- jOurnaled at opposite points supported by the brackets E, F', G, and H and in the two sprocket-chains 'L. This shaft is journaled, preferably, as follows: The linkpin of one of the chains -as, for example,the' one on the side away from the driving-gears-' is extended, as shown at n, and the shaft 72' .is recessed, so as to rest over and be journaled upon said extended pin rtis lh'ecorresponding link-pin of-rthe opposite chain is likewise extended, as at nfiand the shaft 11 at the corresponding endis reducedgas at n3, togth'e diameter of the link-pin 01 A sle'even is rigidly connected with the part a and is journ'aled'on the pin n A rigid arm n pro jects from the sleeve'u and carries at its end a projecting pin or roll nflwhich runs in a groove L, formed in the frame carrying the- The shaft 72 carries'a series sprocket-chain. offlat projecting arms, and-thus forms the bridges M or N of the respective series. The projecting arms are rigidly attached to the shaft n in suchrelation with respect to the arms n that when the pin or roll uiis in the horizontal portions of the groove L the said bridges Maud N will assume a horizontal IIO position and are constructed of such length that when in said horizontal position they will together constitute a' practically continuous bridge lengthwise of.-the sheet. The fiat arms are in number sufficientto support the width of. the sheet,and thenumbe'r of the series is such as'to support nearly, though preferably not entirely, the full length of the sheet. The first-shaft (in the direction of movement) of each series of bridges is provided with a series of stop-fingers o, rigidlyattached to the said shaft at such an-angle that when the shaft, with its arms, reaches a position to receive the sheet from the deliverytapes the said stops 0 will project upwardly and serve to aline and fix definitely the time of removal of the sheet from the deliverytapes. The skeleton frame of the sheet delivery and piling mechanism is also provided near the end with a shaft 19, carryinga series of downwardly-projecting stopfingers 1). These stop-fingers project down between the bridges M or S and below the plane'of the same and are placed at such a position on the framework as to check the movement of the sheet at-the proper time for piling. The box R for receiving the pile of sheets is located .within the path of the endless carrier and fastened to the skeleton framework, all as shown in the drawings.

' From the above description of the'construc- 'tion of the sheet'carrying and piling mechanism it will be seen that the operation thereof is as follows: The machine is so timed that when the first bridge M or N reaches a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the forward end of the sheet will have been brought by the delivery-tapes (i up against the stops 0. During further movement of the carrier and tapes the sheet is carried along by the tapes d at a speed sufficient to keep the forward end against the stops 0 until sufficient number of the bridges M or N have come into horizontal position to support and carry the sheet. The sheet;

is carried by the endless carrier until the forward end thereof reaches the stops 1o,.

when its motion is stopped and the bridges M or N slide out beneath the sheet and allow it to drop into the box below, thestopp being, as previously stated, arranged so that the sheets will fall down into the box in a neat pile at the point desired.

While I have shown an endless carrier moving in one'direction, I do not desire to limit myself to such construction or motion,

the essential feature of my sheet carrying and piling mechanism consisting ina carrier; which supports and carries the sheet until the sheet is in position to fall within the piling-box and then withdraws from beneath" the sheet, allowing it to fall within the pilingbox.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters -Patent, is-

1. A sheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing presses, comprising a receptacle for the pile of sheets, a movable carrier and a stop for preventing further forward longitudinal movement of the sheet by the carrier when the sheet has reached the desired position over the pile-receptacle, and means for sliding the carrier from beneath the sheet.

2. A sheet carrying andpiling mechanism for printing-presses, comprising a receptacle for the pile of sheets, a movable carrier and a stop for preventing further forward longitudinal movement of the sheet when it has reached the desired position over the pile-reccptacle, and means for sliding the carrier from beneath the sheet by a continued forward movement of the carrier.

A sheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing-presses, comprising a-receptacle for the pile of sheets, an endless movable carrier, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement ofthe sheet when it has reached the desired-position over the pile-receptacle, whereby that portion of the carrier supporting the sheet upon the continued motion of the carrier will slide out from beneath the sheet and, allow it to fall within the pile-re-- ceptacle.

4. A sheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing-presses, comprising two-parallel strips, bridges connecting said strips, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement of the sheet carried by said carrier whereby upon the movement of the carrier after the edge of the sheet contacts with the stop, said bridges will slide from beneath the sheet and allow it to fall within the pile-receptacle.

5. In asheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing-presses, a carrier'comprising two flexible strips, bridges connecting said strips, means for bringing said bridges into a substantial horizontal plane upon-motion of the carrier, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement ofthe sheet, whereby when the sheet contacts with the said stop upon further movement of the carrier the bridges will pass from beneath the sheet and allow it to fall within the pile-receptacle.

Y 6. In a sheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing-presses, a carrier comprising two parallel endless strips, bridges connecting saidstrips, means for bringing said bridges upon movement of the carrier into a substantial horizontal plane, a stop for limiting the longitudinal. movement of the sheet, whereby when the sheet contacts with the stop the bridges will slide out from beneath the sheet and allow it to fall within the pile-receptacle.

7. In asheet carrying and piling mechanism for printing-presses, a carrier comprising two parallel, endless chains,.bridges connecting said chains and each consisting of a" shaft with a. series of flat sheet-supporting arms, means for moving said shafts so as to bring said fiat arms into a substantially horizontal plane while supporting the sheet.

8. In a sheet carrying and piling mechanism IOC for printing-presses, a carrier comprising two parallel endless chains, bridges connecting said chains, each of said bridges consisting of a shaft and a series of flat supporting-arms, arms rigidly connected to and projecting from each of said shafts and provided with pins, a

cam groove in the support for said carrier 00- operating with said pins, whereby upon the movement of the carrier the said bridges are brought into a substantially horizontal plan g to support and carry the sheet. i

9. A'printing-press, comprising in combi-'- nationa sheet-delivery mechanism, an endless, flexible sheet-carrying mechanism pro- 7 vided with a plurality of seriesof sheet-supporting bridges, stops at one end-of each of .said series of bridges to aline and position the sheet as it is received from the sheet-delivery mechanism.

10. 'In a prlntingpress, a sheet-delivery mechanism, a sheet carrying and piling mechanism comprising an endless movable carrier provided with stops to prevent further longitudiual movement of the sheet after it is in position over the pile-receptacle, whereby upon further movement of the carrier it will pass from beneath the sheet and allow the sheet to fall Within the pile-receptacle.

11. A sheet-carrying mechanism for printing-presses, comprising two endless chains, bridges connecting said chains, each bridgecomprising a shaft,the link-pins of said chains being extended and each of said shafts being recessed atone end to fit over the, link-pins of one chain and at the other end provided with a projecting arm rigidly attached thereto and recessed to fit over the link-pins of the other chain, said projecting arm having a roll at its end, a'cam-groove in the support for said carrier cooperating with said roll;

12. A printing-press, comprising in combination an impression-cylinder, a sheet-delivery mechanism, means for reducing the speed of the sheet carried by the sheet-deliverymechanism, a sheet carrying and piling mechanism comprising a movable car- I rier, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement of the sheet whereby upon .further movement of the carrier it will slide from beneath the sheet and= allow the same to fall within the pile-receptacle.

13; The combination of printing mechanism, means for delivering the sheets from the printing i mechanism toa sheet carrying and piling mechanism, said sheet carrying and piling mechanism comprising a receptacle for the pile of sheets, a movable carrier, and a stop for preventing further forward longitudinal movement of the sheet by the carrier when the sheet has reached the desired position over the pile-receptacle, and means for sliding the carrier from beneath the sheet.

14. The combination of printing mechanism, means for delivering the sheets from the printing mechanism to asheet carrying and. piling mechanism, said sheet carrying and pilingmechanism comprising a receptacle for thepile of sheets, a movable carrier, and a stop for preventing further forward longitudinal movement of the sheet when it has reached the desired position over the pile-receptacle, and means for sliding the carrier" from beneath the sheet, by a continued for-- ward movement of the carrier.

l5. The combination of printing mechan- "ism, means for delivering the sheets from the printing mechanism to a sheet carrying and v piling mechanism, said sheet carrying and piling mechanism comprising a receptacle for the pile of sheets, an endless movable carrier, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement of the sheet when it has reached the desired position over the pile-receptacle, whereby 'that portion of the carrier supporting the sheet upon the continued motion of the carrier will slide out from beneath the sheet and allow it to fall within the pile-receptacle.

16. The combination of printing mechanism, means for delivering the sheets from the printing'mechanism to a sheet carrying and piling mechanism, said sheet carrying and iling mechanism comprising two parallel strips, bridges connecting said strips, a stop for preventing longitudinal movement of the sheet carried by said carrier whereby upon the movement of the carrier after the edge of the sheet contacts with the stop, said bridges will slide from beneath the sheet and allow it to fall within the pile-receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of A 

